The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has renewed calls on the Nigeria Government to fully integrate antivenom treatment into the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) benefit package and prioritise local production to address persistent gaps in access to life-saving care for snakebite victims.
The Association warned that without urgent financing and supply reforms, Nigeria may continue to record avoidable deaths and disabilities from snakebite envenoming, particularly among rural and underserved populations.
In a statement issued in Abuja, ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekammah Eze, described snakebite envenoming as one of the most neglected public health emergencies in Nigeria, despite the high burden of cases recorded annually.
He noted that thousands of Nigerians suffer snakebites each year, with many victims unable to access timely and affordable antivenom due to weak availability at health facilities and the high out-of-pocket cost of treatment.
Eze linked recent public concern following the death of Abuja-based singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, to deeper systemic failures within the health system.
While acknowledging clarifications by the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, that antivenom was administered, he stressed that frequent stock-outs at peripheral facilities and delays associated with the referral system expose critical gaps that can prove fatal in time-sensitive emergencies such as snakebite envenoming.
The ACPN Chairman further observed that although antivenoms are included in Nigeria’s National Essential Medicines List and national treatment guidelines, access to quality-assured products remains inconsistent across states.
“Delays caused by cost, availability, and shortages of trained health personnel often determine survival outcomes, particularly for victims in rural areas who must travel long distances to reach functional health facilities.
“We urged the Federal Government to approve the full inclusion of antivenom under the NHIA to cushion the average treatment cost, which remains prohibitive for most low-income households”.
It also proposed a one-off public investment to establish local antivenom manufacturing, arguing that Nigeria’s current dependence on imported vials is not sustainable and undermines long-term supply security and affordability.
The ACPN also raised concerns over administrative interference in Drug Revolving Funds in public hospitals, warning that poor governance of these funds fuels recurrent stock-outs of essential emergency medicines.
Citing global assessments on snakebite care challenges, the association said frontline health workers continue to face severe constraints in administering timely treatment due to shortages of supplies, logistics, and supportive infrastructure.
As part of broader reforms, the pharmacists’ body called for decentralising snakebite treatment capacity to primary healthcare centres, engaging traditional leaders to strengthen early referral pathways, and scaling up public education to discourage harmful traditional practices that delay hospital care.
The ACPN urged the formal declaration of snakebite envenoming as a National Health Priority and a Neglected Tropical Disease, stressing that political will, sustainable financing, and coordinated implementation are key to ending preventable snakebite deaths in Nigeria.